- PCMO Conducts Hands-on Biotechnology Training for Neung-ju High School, Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea 

- Participation of 21 students from Neung-ju High School, Hwasun-gun…Completion Step-by-step educational program consisting of theory, VR simulation, and hands-on practice

▲ Microbial Gram staining test practicum practice trainin

The Microbial Pilot &Validation Support Center (PCMO, Director Cho Min) announced that it conducted a three-day educational program titled “Understanding and Practical Training on Vaccine (Biopharmaceutical) Development Processes” from December 15 to 17 for 21 second-year students from Neung-ju High School in Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do. The program was designed to provide students who are preparing to make career decisions with first-hand exposure to the biopharmaceutical industry, enabling them to explore potential career paths in a more concrete and informed manner.

The program was designed in a phased manner and consisted of theoretical lectures, VR-based process simulations, and hands-on practical training. Students first learned the fundamental concepts of biopharmaceutical development through theoretical lectures, followed by VR simulations that allowed them to understand the overall manufacturing workflow. In addition, participants toured the Center’s GMP-compliant manufacturing facility, where they observed how biopharmaceutical products are actually produced and managed in an industrial setting.

During the quality control training session, the microbial Gram staining test practicum attracted strong interest from the students. Participants learned how staining reactions differ depending on bacterial structural characteristics and conducted hands-on staining and microscopic observation themselves. Through this experience, students gained an understanding of the critical role of quality control procedures in verifying the safety and reliability of pharmaceutical products.

▲ Hands-on training on purification equipment operation

High levels of interest continued during the purification process training as well. Students learned the principles of component separation using chromatography, as well as the basic concepts of protein concentration and recovery through UF/DF (Ultrafiltration/ Diafiltration). The program emphasized hands-on equipment demonstrations and operation, enabling students to intuitively grasp the importance of downstream purification processes in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

Participating students commented that “the biotechnology field, which had previously felt abstract, became clearly connected to real careers and industry,” and that “Through this experience, it became an opportunity to consider my future career path by seeing and experiencing firsthand what I had learned only through textbooks.”.” Students also expressed high satisfaction with the opportunity to directly operate equipment and positively evaluated the detailed explanations and supplementary materials provided during the Q&A sessions.

 

The Microbial Pilot &Validation Support Center (PCMO) plans to continue expanding hands-on, field-oriented training programs for local youth and to further enhance educational content and curricula, thereby strengthening cooperative education models that bridge schools and industrial practice.